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Old Church of Kilconieran, Galway

Killconerin Parish is located in the middle of East Galway, five kilometres south-east of Athenry on the road to Loughrea. There is a signpost to the church on the road. It is one of the two areas named in the Books of Survey and Distribution of the seventeenth century where the Traceys held land in Ireland. In Kilconienan, there is the remains of an old church which contains two slab stones dedicated to the Traceys. From the position of these stones it may be likely that this was a Tracey family church. As such, it would be the earliest known family structure and should be of interest to all Traceys. Unfortunately, the graveyard is very overgrown and the end wall of the church now forms part of a cow shed.

Elizabeth I

1585 27^th June

Pardon to ... Wm O Treasie of Kilcayarin (Galway)

1603 Pat 1 James 1 Part 3

VI. - 3 General Pardon to ...Will. O'Trashy of Kilconerine, gent...

1636-1703 Books of Surveys and Distribution - Killconerin Parish: Dunkellin Barony

No. of reference in ye Alphabet	Proprietors name Anno: 1641	Denominations	Number of Acres unprofitable	Number of Acres profitable	Number of profitable Acres disposed of on ye Acts	To whom disposed with their Title, whether by Decree, Certificate or Patent, References to ye record thereof	No. of ye Book or Roll & ye Page or Skin	Number of ye unprofitable Acres remaining undisposed
38	John Mc Keadagh Mc William Tressy 2/3 θ wanting 1/7	Cregaturrla ½ quarter wanting 1/7 part		021..0..00	096..0.00	Walter Blake		p.125

1655-1658 Local Transplatation Barony of Dunkellin

Tressy (Tracy) Richard and Una, Alias Swiney.

Kilconierin 54 Irish Acres (H 4 profitable decreed)

Killeeneen (H 15)

Killogilleen (H 32)

The Transplantation to Connacht 1655-58 (1970) Irish Manuscript Commission.

Name, Date of Decree, Date of Final settlement, No. of Acres

Edmond Tressy, Co. Galway, 12 May 1656, 9 July 1657, 200

Richard and Una Tressy alias Swiney Co. Galway, 17 May 1656, 13 Aug 1657, 54

1899 [C.9245] Historical manuscripts commission. Report on the manuscripts of the Marquis of Ormonde, K.P., preserved at the castle, Kilkenny. Vol. II.

The old church of Kilconieran…inserted in the wall near where the alter was is a stone with the following inscription: “Erected by Martin Tressy, to pray for his wife Honoria alias O’Bryan and his daughter Mary deceased and the rest of his family. 1755” On another horizontal flag below the first stone is written: “Pray for the wife of Patrick Tressy Margo alias Maughan & her postertity who dyed the 14th July 1760” In addition to the headstones in Kilconierin that you have identified (http://www.traceyclann.com/files/Galway2.htm), two additional headstones of interest to you there may be: - Erected by Margaret Tracy alias Fury and her son John in memory of husband Michael Tracy died 26th January 1804 aged 58. - In memory of Edmond Trasy died 6th March 1791 aged 61 and his son Dan died 2nd July 1830 aged 66. Erected by Thady Trasy 1830. Additionally, by way of suggestions / query, the 'Mary Tressy/Treacy & Martin Keogh' family listed under Loughrea are also from Kilconierin-Clostoken parish. Finally, in the 1821 census, there are Tressy's in both Moyode and Rathgorgin. As you've noted they also appear in the Book of Survey and Distribution for the parish (Creggaturlough), and more signifiently, the Calender of Patent Rolls at the beginning of the seventeenth century (Kilconierin). The fact that Rathgorgin-Moyode-Kilconierin-Creggaturlough are all the one area in north-west Kilconierin can be no coincidence and means the Tracey's/Tressy's lived in this area of Kilconierin for centuries. It is also clear that they are one of three or four of the most significent families in tracing the legacy and history of Kilconierin parish though the centuries. Best Regards, Steve Dolan. sakdolan@hotmail.com 25 Aug 2012

Killimor

Lying to the east of Killconerin, Killimor is the second area named in the Books of Survey and Distribution of the seventeenth century where the Traceys held land in Ireland.

1636-1703 Books of Surveys and Distribution - Killymore Parish: Lonford Barony

No. of reference in ye Alphabet	Proprietors name Anno: 1641	Denominations	Number of Acres unprofitable	Number of Acres profitable	Number of profitable Acres disposed of on ye Acts	To whom disposed with their Title, whether by Decree, Certificate or Patent, References to ye record thereof	No. of ye Book or Roll & ye Page or Skin	Number of ye unprofitable Acres remaining undisposed
	John Mc Daniell Mc Rory O Trassy	½ Cartron of ye Inga quarter	004..0..00	046..0..00	157..0..00	Sr ffran. Gore		p.64
	John Mc Donell Mc Mlaghlin O Trassy	1/3 quarter in Ballynahiskeragh	5..0..00	100..0..00	101..0..00	Earle Clanrickard 1/3 quarter
	Murrogh Mc Donell O Trassy	1 Cartron in Killyne of the Said 4 quarter		044..0..00	140..0..0	Earle Clanrickard 1/2 quarter Wo James ffitz Wm Power
	John Mc Daniell Mc Mleagh O Trassy prd (=aforesaid)	1 Cartron ½ Carton in Killyne of the Said 4 quarter		059..0..00	059..0..00	Ffergus Madden

Records dating from 1420s show the Treacys as holding the vicarage of Killimor as well as other ecclesiastical offices in the diocese of Clonfert. The old Church of Killimor stands a short distance to the west of the village. It is the largest parish church of the period (circa 1595). The oldest tombstone is a monument to William O'Treasaigh. “This stone was made for Thomas Oge Tressy for his son William O Tressy 1649”

Portumna

Further east again and probably connected to the above, there is a similar tombstone found in the Portumna Priory.

“This stone was made by Wililamna & Thomas Oge Tressie of Magherinlis nad Ganyd Tressye his wife” [Magheranearla?]

Ref:

Lickerrig School Folklore Report 1837-8 in Stanley, Cathal ed. (2000) Castles & demesnes: gleanings from Kilconieran and Clostoken.Galway.

Four Post-Medieval and Early Modern Treacy Funerary Monuments by Christy Cunniffe in South East Galway Archaeological & Historical Society, Newsletter No. 19 Autumn 2015 [online]

last update: 18 May 2016